We all know Nikola Jokic as the MVP big man of the Denver Nuggets. NBA Champion, Finals MVP, seven-time All-Star, he’s done it all. But behind the scenes? He’s a family man whose biggest supporters are his older brothers, Strahinja and Nemanja Jokic. The Jokic brothers are passionate, loud, and loyal. And they have been with Nikola every step of the way.

So who exactly are Strahinja and Nemanja? And how did they help shape one of the best players the NBA has ever seen? Let’s break it down.

The Joker has two older brothers: Strahinja and Nemanja. They grew up close, both literally and figuratively. All three were raised in a small apartment in Sombor, Serbia, along with their parents and grandmother. And family was everything in their home.

“It was my mom, dad, me, my two brothers, and my grandma,” Nikola shared in The Players’ Tribune. “It was always a full house…We were crazy kids. We were making a lot of noise.”

And yes, there was even a mini basketball hoop in the apartment which probably didn’t thrill the downstairs neighbors.

Strahinja Jokic might not be putting up triple-doubles like his younger brother, but he definitely brings his own kind of energy to the court—just from the sidelines.